Links

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

MS helped me learn to stop worrying. Well, mostly.

I used to be the world’s biggest worrywart. I could work up
a good worry over anything, from the size of my thighs to the demise of
mankind.

I’d like to say that’s all stopped. Alas, I still worry. But
being diagnosed with MS in 2001 made me reconsider the role worry plays in my life.

Until then, I used worry as a kind of talisman, figuring (not
quite consciously) that the act of worrying about something actually protected
against that thing. Worrying would, in my superstitious mind, ward off any bad thing
I thought to worry about.

I worried about contracting all sorts of dire diseases. But
it never crossed my mind to worry about MS. So, while I was busy fretting about
afflictions such as swine flu and cancer, MS snuck up and bit me in the butt.

I was terrified when I learned (after an MRI and a lumbar
puncture) that I had multiple sclerosis, a disease I knew absolutely nothing
about. So much for the protective power of worry.

Information, not superstition, is of course the best defense
against blind fear, so I sought it where I could. Unfortunately for me, that
meant surfing the Web.

Back in 2001, online information about MS was far more
scarce, and far more scary, than it is today. I sure wish this blog had been
there for me; I would have so appreciated the chance to see that real human
beings like myself can live rich, happy lives with MS. Instead, one Website
after another painted a grim, depressing picture of what likely lay ahead for me,
largely because therapies that would help make MS a more manageable condition had
only recently become available and hadn’t yet had a chance to alter the course
of many people’s disease.

What the Internet failed to provide, my wonderful
neurologist delivered. He helped me find the right therapy and got me started
on it immediately. He spoke to me kindly but not condescendingly, telling me
what I needed to know about the disease and its management. Perhaps most
important of all, he helped me maintain a sense of humor about my situation.

My neurologist, my wonderful family and friends, my daily
injection, and that sense of humor have all served me well over the dozen years
since my diagnosis. I am so lucky and grateful to be able to walk the dog, go
to the gym, ride my bike, do yoga for hours on end. I have a fulfilling job and
a happy life – none of which I take for granted.

Today, with new therapies and improved understanding of how
MS works, the outlook for many is better than it was even a decade ago, and Websites
such as that of the National MS Society can offer plenty of helpful, even
cheering, information for the newly diagnosed.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my MS
experience with others through this blog, and I hope that newly diagnosed
people in particular will find encouragement in what I and my fellow bloggers
write. And, to help ensure that new therapies will continue to be discovered
and made available to people with MS, I am proud to declare myself an MS activist!

What does being an MS activist mean? Being an MS activist
means that I will take every opportunity to stand up, tell my story and drive change. Hear that sound? That’s me, knocking on wood. I know that my disease
could worsen, that my future could become far more problematic than my past
twelve years have been.

But, you know what?

I’m not going to worry
about that right now. I’m going to use my voice to make a difference.

Jennifer LaRue Huget was diagnosed with MS in 2001. A
freelance writer and children's book author, she lives in Connecticut with her
husband, two teenage kids, and two brown dogs. Her Web site is www.jenniferlaruehuget.com.

So beautifully written! I think we put things in perspective when dealing with ms or any other disease. It's helped me 'choose my battles' for sure. My husband is such a huge help. I'm finding a new neuro, have appt in May. Yhank you for sharing!

Follow by Email

About the Society

The National MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now—to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. MS stops people from moving. We exist to make sure it doesn't.

Disclaimer

The National MS Society is proud to be a source of information about multiple sclerosis. The comments, advice and information provided by contributors to this blog do not necessarily reflect National MS Society views or recommendations, nor is the Society responsible for the content of any "off-site" Internet information referenced by or linked to from the National MS Society's Internet site. Refer to our Legal Notice for further details and please carefully research all shared opinions and advice through expert sources and consultation of your healthcare provider. The administrator reserves the right to remove any inappropriate comments (see Guidelines).